Biometeorology

Biometeorology has its linguistic origins in Greek; bio refers to life while meteoros makes reference to the study of phenomena near and above the earth’s surface. These are the essential elements of biometeorology, such that it is concerned with the interaction between living organisms and variations in atmospheric processes at a range of time and space scales.

Since its emergence as a discipline in the mid 1950s, Biometeorology has grown to have great societal relevance. Much of its subject matter focuses on how biophysical, human, animal and plant systems are influenced by change and variability in the atmospheric environment. Understanding such relationships provides insights into how the provisioning, supporting and regulating services provided by the biosphere may be affected by atmospheric variationsand ultimately, the societal consequences of atmosphere related changes in biophysical and ecosystem processes.

The purpose of this new series in biometeorology is to:
- complement the material published in the International Society of Biometeorology’s International Journal of Biometeorology,
- to communicate the interdisciplinary philosophy and science of biometeorology to as wide an audience as possible,
- introduce scientists and policy makers to the societal relevance of and recent developments in its subfields,
- demonstrate how a biometeorological approach can provide entry points to the understanding and possible solution of cross-cutting environmental issues such as climate change, desertification, deforestation, biodiversity loss, land degradation, emerging diseases and the availability of clean water and air.

The series in biometeorology will comprise theme-based volumes organised around subject matter within the subfields of biometeorology, which broadly include human, animal, plant, ecosystems, tourism, artificial or indoor climates, air quality and urban. In addition to volumes that synthesise the state of knowledge in the subfields, a primary focus will be on important, new and emerging topics in biometeorology that have a bearing on the health of the biosphere and thus human society. An editorial board, the broad role of which will be to elicit and review suggestions for volume themes, will oversee the series.